Confrontation looms as Ukraine vows to block Russian 'aid convoy'

Moscow: A confrontation seemed certain as Kiev threatened to block a convoy of 262 Russian trucks rolling towards the Ukrainian border. Ukranian officials fear the convoy is a ploy to bolster pro-Kremlin rebels on its eastern territory.

The convoy of what Russia says is humanitarian aid has sparked fears of an escalation in a conflict that has left hundreds dead in eastern Ukraine in recent months and plunged Moscow's ties with the West to their lowest point in decades.

France warned that Russia could use the operation as "a cover" for sending in troops, echoing earlier concerns from Canberra, Washington, Berlin and London.

Kiev said the trucks would be stopped at the border for any aid to be unloaded and transported into conflict-torn eastern Ukraine with the help of the Red Cross.

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"First they send tanks, Grad missiles and bandits who fire on Ukrainians and then they send water and salt," Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said.

"The level of Russian cynicism knows no bounds."

However Moscow was adamant the convoy would reach its destination, calling for "maximum co-operation" from Ukraine to ensure the aid was delivered to the besieged rebel strongholds of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "We should be sceptical of Russia's intentions because plainly Russia has been stirring up a world of trouble in eastern Ukraine for many, many months now.

"All of us are in favour of humanitarian assistance but no one wants to see what is effectively an invasion under cover of a humanitarian convoy," Mr Abbott said in London.

The convoy left Moscow on Tuesday for eastern Ukraine carrying 2000 tonnes of "humanitarian supplies" and travelled 500 kilometres to the south-western Russian town of Voronezh. There it stopped at an air base behind high fences.

Several people who entered the airbase and spoke on condition of anonymity said dozens of trucks were still parked at the airbase. It was not clear whether the Voronezh convoy was the only one travelling towards Ukraine.

"The journey isn't short, of course," one lorry driver interviewed on Russian Rossiya-24 television commented.

"How can I put it? It's pretty difficult. But how could we not help our Slavic brothers? We are all for it."

As fierce fighting continued in the industrial east, Ukraine's military said twelve nationalist fighters were killed early on Wednesday and an unknown number taken captive when rebels ambushed their bus.

The UN said the conflict had claimed nearly 1,000 lives, fighters and civilians, in just two weeks.

Russia has been pressing for a humanitarian mission to the east, where four months of fierce battles have left cities without power, running water or fuel, and with dwindling food supplies.

Kiev has said it will only accept aid as part of a broader international mission involving Europe and the US under the supervision of the Red Cross.

The US on Tuesday backed Ukraine's demand for the convoy to go through border checks to clear up concerns Moscow is seeking to support rebels.

"Russia has no right to move into Ukraine unilaterally, whether under the guise of humanitarian convoys or any other pretext, without Kiev's permission," US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

Moscow has insisted it is working with the Red Cross and that the convoy would not include military personnel.

Adding to the confusion, the International Committee of the Red Cross said no green light had been given for an aid mission.

"We still need to get some more information before we can move ahead," ICRC spokeswoman Anastasia Isyuk said in Geneva.

French President Francois Hollande said he had "grave concerns" about the mission which his Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned "could be a cover by the Russians to set themselves up near Donetsk and Luhansk and declare a fait accompli".

UN human rights spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said the estimated death toll had risen to 2,086 as of August 10 from 1,129 on July 26.